Contact lenses for the eye, commonly referred to as just “contacts,” are a convenient and comfortable way of improving vision. They can eliminate the need for glasses and are particularly advantageous when other ocular devices are used, such as binoculars, diving masks, microscopes, sunglasses, protective eyewear, or other similar types of devices that would be difficult or impossible to use while wearing regular eye glasses. Certain medical conditions can also necessitate the wearing of contact lenses. Cataract surgery where an artificial lens cannot be implanted in the eye may require a patient to wear contacts. Contacts may also be required to treat certain types eye diseases, such as keratoconus or damage to the cornea caused by an injury or infection of the eye.
Typically, contact lenses are installed in or removed from the eye using one or more fingers. For installation, the contact lens is balanced on one finger and one or both lids of the eye are usually pulled back from the eye. A few drops of saline or other artificial eye fluid are dropped onto the lens. There should be a sufficient amount of fluid to allow cohesion, but not so much that the fluid washes over the lens and inhibits attachment. The contact lens is then gently pushed against the eye, where forces of cohesion and adhesion will cause the lens to attach to the eye and float on the thin layer of fluid on the surface of the eyeball. This process can be difficult and quite stressful for some people to perform. It requires manual dexterity and hand and eye stability to ensure that the contact lens is brought into sufficient proximity to allow attachment to the eye surface without causing accidental or painful contact with the cornea and sclera. Likewise, removal requires a steady hand and the ability to pinch or squeeze the contact to dislodge it from the surface of the eye.
There are devices that can assist with the insertion and removal of contacts. It can be difficult, however, to judge distances when using such devices close to the eye. Many utilize suction forces to hold the contact while inserting it or to pull the contact from the eye during removal. However, if the contact is not immediately released upon adhering to the eye, the suction force can cause painful contact with the cornea or sclera during installation and may even remove the contact instead of leaving it in place. It is also not uncommon for contacts to form a strong contact with the eye surface, particularly when too dry or when worn for protracted periods. If the suction of the device is too strong, it can damage the eye while the user is trying to remove a too-strongly adhered contact.
Another issue with contacts is the transmission of dirt, microorganisms, and other undesirable products to the eye. Usually these undesirable products are not seen, but can often be felt after the contact is inserted. Contacts are usually treated with cleaning and disinfecting solutions to reduce or eliminate unwanted dirt, protein build-up, microorganisms, etc. Cleaned contacts are then stored in individual wells and are retrieved with the fingers or, sometimes, another device before being inserted with fingers or a device. During transfer the contact can be dropped or dirtied, the fluid necessary for comfortable insertion can leak or drip out of the contact, or the contact can be torn, chipped, or otherwise damaged.
There is a need for a device that can aid in inserting and removing contact lenses. Such a device will, ideally, reduce the amount of manual dexterity required, prevent undesirable contact with the cornea or sclera of the eye, and release the contact immediately upon insertion or prevent excessive force on the eye if the contact is difficult to remove. It can also be beneficial for such a device to control the amount of fluid on the contact and ensure that the fluid remains in the contact lens vault during installation. A further advantage would be to provide a user with the ability to observe the device during installation and removal of contacts to enable a sense of safety and confidence when using the device. Observation can also provide an opportunity to inspect a lens prior to insertion. If such a device could be incorporated with a hands-free system of contact storage it would constitute a dramatic improvement in the use of contacts and could increase probable continued use of contacts.